More than £770,000 has been committed for essential dredging on the Somerset Levels over the coming year. This initiative, led by the Parrett Internal Drainage Board and funded through the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), aims to improve the River Parrett’s capacity to manage floodwaters and protect the surrounding communities.
Since 2015, the Parrett Internal Drainage Board has overseen an annual dredging programme ensuring the river can efficiently move large volumes of water from the Levels and Moors out towards the Bristol Channel. This programme continues the work last done by the Environment Agency in 2014 and is supported by the SRA’s budget, which is funded in part by local council tax.
In a recent meeting held in Yeovil, the SRA board approved up to £775,000 for another phase of dredging scheduled for the next financial year. The focus will be a three-mile stretch downstream of Burrowbridge, a critical junction where the Rivers Parrett and Tone meet and where the busy A361 road cuts through.
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This particular section of the river was highlighted in the Somerset 20-year flood action plan, developed following the devastating floods of 2013/14, making it a vital priority for flood risk management.
The last round of dredging took place in early January during some of the largest winter tides to maximize effectiveness. The upcoming work will use proven techniques: a platform-mounted excavator, operated by WM Longreach, will remove built-up silt from the riverbanks and central channel. The silt will then be dispersed using powerful water jets from the specialist craft Borr, operated by Van Oord, suspending sediment and carrying it downstream on the outgoing tide.
The dredging will cover the stretch from Burrowbridge through Northmoor Green and Fordgate, passing near the Westonzoyland pumping station. Approximately 25,000 cubic metres of sediment will be removed from the riverbed and banks, improving water flow and reducing flood risks to roughly 1,300 homes and businesses, and protecting around 7,500 hectares of land.
Additionally, this work will safeguard key transport routes, including 5.3 miles of major A-roads such as the A372, A361, and A378, 30 miles of minor roads, and five miles of the mainline rail network. By enhancing the river’s capacity, dredging delays the activation of spillways and helps moors retain more water, allowing earlier use of pumping stations to manage floodwaters effectively.
The SRA board reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing water injection dredging through at least 2031/32, underscoring the importance of this work in providing lasting flood resilience and peace of mind for residents in the Somerset Levels.